The Manquee who stole her Ferrari

Once upon a time, imitation was considered the sincerest form of flattery. But in today's social media jungle, where everyone's either an influencer or aspiring to be one, copying isn't just unoriginal - it's downright 'aesthetic espionage'. This term has been buzzing ever since US-based influencer Sydney Gifford took fellow social media star Alyssa Sheil to court in Texas, accusing her of mimicking her persona and outright lifting her entire look. Gifford, who copyrighted a chunk of her posts in January after spotting uncanny resemblances in Sheil's content, has presented a stack of photos as evidence in the federal court. The charge? Copyright infringement. But here's the kicker: in the highly stylised world of Instagram, Gifford's thrown in an even graver accusation - stealing her vibe. She has about 300,000 followers on Instagram and more than half a million on TikTok. As the creator economy booms, the case seeks to clarify the line where imitation may turn from flattery into forgery.

What vibe is it, you ask? Think curated sunsets, coffee cups held just so, and captions dripping with 'Be the energy you want to attract'. (Aargh!) In a realm where individuality is currency No. 1 and your brand is your personality, vibe theft might just be the ultimate crime. After all, you can't watermark je ne sais quoi. Or can you?